Dustin Poirier gets warm welcome in Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 242 showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov in unification Lightweight title match at The Arena on September 7

Dustin Poirier became UFC's interim lightweight champion in April and now faces Khabib Nurmagomedov in an unification bout at UFC 242 on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. Getty

Dustin Poirier has arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of his Lightweight Championship title unification match with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The two men will fight in the main event at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi at The Arena on September 7.

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Nurmagomedov, the Lightweight champion, has not competed since October 2018 after serving a nine-month ban for his role in the post-match fight following his victory over Conor McGregor.

Since then Poirier was crowned Interim Lightweight champion after beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April.

Nurmagomedov has been training in the UAE since earlier this month but Poirier arrived on Friday, and he was given a warm record at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which you can see in the attached social media post on Twitter.

Hostile territory? @DustinPoirier received a warm welcome when he arrived in Abu Dhabi this afternoon. #UFC242 pic.twitter.com/27a1E6qtm9

— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) August 30, 2019

UFC 242 marks the promotion's return to the UAE capital for the first time since 2014, and is the first event in a five-year partnership signed earlier this year with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

It brings to a close the inaugural Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which runs September 1-7.